Why I Do The Things I Do

I was so excited today, because I got to go to the nutritionist with Peyton. I'll post details on that within the next day or two, but basically, my gut is telling me that he has some sort of food allergy or intolerance thing going on. I have no idea what. Anyway, it was an awesome appointment, and I seriously could have just visited with her for hours. Before I post on our current and future experiences in this new little "journey", I want to give you some background about our beliefs in this area. First of all, I've had numerous people ask me about the things we do with/for our kids. Second of all, I post random opinions throughout my blog, but I think it needs to be all in one spot. It just makes more sense that way.

Also, I am in no way an expert. I will say that I have done a massive amount of research on most of it, though. It's just fun for me. I will also say that there are plenty of people out there who make even more healthy decisions than I do. Right now, I just do what I can. And I don't make any decision without really looking into it first. These aren't just random ideas I have or anything. :)

Let me make something VERY clear. This is what WE do in OUR family. We do feel very strongly that what we are doing is right, but I will not judge someone else for having a different point of view. In fact, if you feel like arguing with me, go ahead. Just keep it nice, please. This is going to be in a sort of "FAQ" form. These are questions that I get from people alot, so I think it will be easier. Here we go!

1. Why do you do all the natural, "alternative" stuff?

Well, and I'll try to keep this short, I stumbled upon it all through trial and error. Logan was not a healthy child between the ages of 1 and 3. In fact, he had so many ear infections, respiratory infections, etc., that he had antibiotics 24 times in that time period. He also did breathing treatments. I didn't know any better. I did what the doctors prescribed. I deep cleaned my house with chemical cleaners to "kill the germs". Finally, I had enough. Logan had a round of croup that had lasted over 15 days. No amount of breathing treatments or oral steroids would cure it. I said "What the heck?!" and called the natural doctor in our town. He did a complete work-up, gave me orders to overhaul everything that he ate, everything that he breathed, and anything else that could go into his body. The doctor did needleless acupuncture and sent us on our way. Logan slept 15 hours that night without one cough. No more croup. Ever since that day, I've implemented more and more natural "habits". And ever since that day, Logan has been sick MAYBE a handful of times. He still has ear fluid trouble, but he also has a very small ear canal and scar tissue now. The fluid never gets infected, though. Our other kids are extremely healthy, too. And trust me, it's not genetic luck.

2. What kind of vitamins do you use? Honestly, I tend to hop around a bit. Typically speaking, I buy Animal Parade vitamins for Peyton and Addison. Logan takes GNC kids multis (he needs more iron). All of the kids take probiotics DAILY. I buy Garden of Life, or if they're out, I buy Country Life. Our main philosophy is that whatever we buy, it has to come from the health food store. You can find vitamin information easily (just compare labels), so trust me when I say that vitamins from Wal-Mart are not even close to being the same as vitamins from the health food store. You get what you pay for, so don't waste your money. Yes, we spend quite a bit of money on vitamins and supplements. We're okay with that. It saves money in the long run, and it's very worth it to us to keep our family as healthy as possible.

3. Do you only buy organic? Yes and no. I try to buy as much as possible. Except in rare cases, I have always bought organic beef, chicken, eggs, yogurt, and baby food. My kids don't drink milk, so I don't worry too much about that. I do buy 1/2 gallon of organic to use in cooking, though. I could spend hundreds of dollars at Whole Foods every week if money was never an issue. Because money IS an issue, I just try to eliminate the really "bad" stuff. Hormones, antibiotics, etc. Our most recent overhaul has been to eliminate any artificial colors and sweeteners. They're everywhere!

4. Do you never buy "bad" food? Oh my goodness. Currently in my pantry, I have a box of organic "fruit by the foot". Right next to that is a box of Pop-Tarts. Moderation people. The kids each get to pick out one "junk" item each week. I'm fine with that. I don't deny them McDonald's, it's just that we only go about 1 time each month. Sometimes I make Kraft Mac and Cheese - with organic milk. Yes, I know that's like people eating a whole pizza but insisting on a diet soda. Whatever! Like I said, I do what I can.

5. Do you vaccinate? Yes. I DO NOT vaccinate according to the "recommended" schedule. We feel that there is WAY too much evidence out there proving that injecting a baby with so much at one time is overload. I actually have a friend that's a doctor and a friend who has an autistic child that can give me REAL case stories. Of people they actually know. Freaky. So don't worry. My child won't give your child the measles or anything. We just do 1 or 2 at a time, and we wait several months in between (after 4 months). And we don't do flu shots or chickenpox shots.

6. If you don't use chemical cleaners, how do you kill all the germs? Well, hold on to your hats. WE HAVE GERMS. Millions of them. Everywhere. And you know what? That's okay! Our society has become so "clean" that we're almost TOO clean. We aren't supposed to disinfect everything. I had a very hard time accepting this. It just didn't seem right. Currently, I clean with vinegar, baking soda, Basic H, and Method (in the bathroom - it's addictive). That's it. And so far, we don't smell too funky or anything! Another perk? I don't have to freak out if one of my kids touches the mop bucket.

7. Are all of your household items "natural"? No. Again, I think I would love it if they were, but they're just not. The kids all use natural bathing products, and I USUALLY always use all-natural stuff in the laundry. Unless I run out or get lazy one week - which happens. I don't use anti-bacterial hand soap anymore, so that's a biggie I guess. We wash our hands very frequently and use hand gel (not anti-bacterial), so I didn't want that on our hands. Otherwise, I just use regular stuff and just try to eliminate fragrance, etc.

8. How do you feel about medicine? It depends. I think Americans are so used to taking medicine for everything that we don't stop to think about what we're taking anymore. Like everything else, there's a time and a place. When we get a cold, we take a spoonful of honey (only over age 1), run the humidifier, and sometimes use baby Vicks. I also keep homeopathic cold tablets on hand. On the other hand, I just had a big-dog antibiotic filled last Sunday. I somehow got strep, a double ear infection, and a sinus infection all at the same time. I felt like I swallowed razor blades - the blisters on my throat were really bad. Each day got worse, so it was time to get some good 'ol fashioned drugs. Thank goodness! So we do both. We try to go without drugs, but we'll never NOT take them.

I think that pretty much sums it all up. Like I said, those are the questions that people ask me the most. In a nutshell, Jason and I firmly believe that people will be very pleasantly surprised if they "cross over" to this way of thinking. We have seen with our own eyes how lives can be transformed. I know it's much easier to go to the doctor, get a prescription, and go on your way. Let me tell you that it does take a lot of time and effort to do things this way. The good thing is that it's much easier now than it used to be! There are so many things easily available - even at Wal-Mart.

If you have a success story, please leave it here for the rest of us. That kind of thing ALWAYS helps!